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Fukushima Residents Have Slightly Higher Cancer Risk

Published
Friday 1 March 2013 Published Fri 1 Mar 2013

By Joseph Nordqvist

There is a lightly higher risk of developing some types of cancers for people living near the site of the Fukushima nuclear power disaster, says a group of international experts who carried out an analysis.

They added that the predicted risks for developing cancer for the general population living inside and outside Japan are relatively low.

On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake was followed by a tsunami that struck the Fukushima I Power Plant, resulting in a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and the release of radioactive materials. It was the largest nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. The two disasters were the only ones ever to measure Level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. Hundreds of thousands of people had to flee their homes to avoid radiation poisoning.

The World Health Organization (WHO) identified that the risk of certain cancers among people living in the Fukushima Prefecture has gone up following the disaster. It said that long term monitoring and health screening of people in the area is essential.

According to Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director for Public Health and Environment:

"The primary concern identified in this report is related to specific cancer risks linked to particular locations and demographic factors. A breakdown of data, based on age, gender and proximity to the nuclear plant, does show a higher cancer risk for those located in the most contaminated parts. Outside these parts - even in locations inside Fukushima Prefecture - no observable increases in cancer incidence are expected."

They note that the radiation doses from the disaster are not expected to cause an increased rate of stillbirths or miscarriages.

Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director for Public Health and Environment, said:

"The WHO report underlines the need for long-term health monitoring of those who are at high risk, along with the provision of necessary medical follow-up and support services.This will remain an important element in the public health response to the disaster for decades."

The experts mention that the psychosocial impact of the Fukushima disaster also has an effect on the health and well being of the population in the area and should not be ignored.

"In addition to strengthening medical support and services, continued environmental monitoring, in particular of food and water supplies, backed by the enforcement of existing regulations, is required to reduce potential radiation exposure in the future."

The analysis is the first of its kind to study the health effects due to radiation exposure following the Fukushima Power Plant disaster.

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